Automatic upper attachment



Nov. 10, 1942. LAFFERTY 2,301,295

AUTOMATIC UPPER ATTACHMENT Filed Sept. 12, 1941 VENTOR:

9 E0be/"f/TLaff /fy V zTTORNEY Patented Nov. 10, 1942 UNHTEID STATES FEE'ENT' @FEHQE "Y AUToMATIo SIi ZZZTTACHMENT Q I I Robert F. Laiferty, Christchurch, New Zealand Application September 12, 1941, Serial No. 410,496

. In New Zealand January 15, 1941 3 Claims.

My invention relates to lasts and relates particularly to an automatic attaching or clamping device whereby the upper of a shoe may be held to a last.

My automatic upper attachmentrof the last keeps the upper straight on. the back'of thelast during th various steps of the manufacturing operations. This clamp keepsthe upper in place while being lasted over the heel seat. r I

Heretofore, the back of the upper-has been held to the last by means of a tack or nailbeing driven at the heel junction of the upper and the last. The repeated withdrawal of the tack or nail from the wooden last eventually results in an enlarged hole and the ruination of the last.

In placing the upper on the last, the operator performs from four to six operations. First, he picks up the upper and last. Second, he adjusts the upper on the last. Third, he picks up his hammer. Fourth, he sticks a tack into the upper. Fifth, he hits the tack with the hammer. Sixth, he finds the last has deteriorated by tack holes and that the tack will not hold (so he puts in another tack to the side).

Through the continuous use of inserting and removing temporary tacks, in the last, to keep the upper in place or straight on the last, the last deteriorates by continuous piercing into the wood in the back of it, and this is a tremendous loss to a manufacturer apart from lost motions, and at the same time, turning out very unsatisfactory work.

In the temporary piercing of the upper, very often a hole is left, and although this can be camouflaged in the cleaning room, there is often a loss by actual damage to the upper, as they occasionally tear, particularly in light work, and this is particularly true where the upper radius is of light material.

The upper, in my invention, is placed at an automatic height, which is controlled by the upper reaching a sliding cam, which is made a standard back height, or, in other words, to the height of the back pin. This is similar to the brass pin or tack placed into the last by the lastmaker. The second movement is adjusting or looking the automatic back clamp.

The radius of this automatic clamp has been so arranged to take the minimum and maximum thickness of the upper, which was the main bugbear. To obtain the correct height for back, the upper is placed up to the sliding pin attached to the clamp.

The advantages of my invention are as follows:

(1) It is labor-saving, and it eliminates handling.

(2) The automatic back height eliminates back pins.

(3) Preservation of the lasts from injury caused from the continuous insertion of tacks to keep thelupper in place for height and alignment.

. (ll-Avoids injury to the upper by the insertion of tacks into the leather.

Other objects of my invention are to provide an improved device of the character described, that is easily and economically produced, and which is sturdy in construction.

With the above and related objects in view, my invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a last embodying the upper clamp of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View of the holding clamp for the last.

Fig. 3 is a rear view position of the automatic holding clamp.

Fig. 4 is a top View of the clamp, per se.

Fig. 5 is a rear View of the clamp holding jaw.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, I show in Fig. 1 a last A of the customary construction made of wood. On the top portion of the last is a base or standard B having a plurality of openings I t, H, l2, the standard B being approximately 2" long, high, and i.,- wide. The openings IE! and i2 are for the purpose of receiving screws whereby the clamp is held to the wood last, and the central opening II is adapted to receive a stud (not shown) whereby the last may be held in position while the upper lining and sole and other parts are being formed, sewed, cemented, or nailed upon the last.

The standard B has a longitudinally extending bore therein into which a shaft l4 reciprocates. An upper clamp or jaw [6 has one end rigidly fastened to the free end of the shaft Hi, and the jaw I6 is shaped to envelope the heel portion of the upper by pressing the shoe upper firmly against the shoe last. Heretofore, this operation was performed by means of a tack piercing the upper and the last.

A sliding pin I8 which pierces the shoe last is attached to the jaw I6 and below the reciprocable shaft M. The function of the sliding pin i8 is to automatically mark the adjusting point for the height of the upper, the upper being located upon the last so that the edge of the upper abuts against the sliding pin I8. Thus, the upper is properly placed at the correct heighth without the need of any other adjusting means.

The locking jaw I6 has two trunnions 20, 22 rigidly placed thereon, and each trunnion has one end of a rigid lever or link 24 connected thereto.

The other end of the rigid link 24 is connected to a pivoted inverted U-shaped lever 26, which is pivoted at 28. The lever 26 has a trunnion or stud 30 spaced from the pivot 28 so that the stud 30 moves on a circumference of which the pivot 28 is the center. The other end of the rigid link 24 is connected to stud 30, and the link oscillates relative to its stud 30. The U-shaped lever 26 fits about the forward end portion of the base B so that the lever 26 lies in a horizontal position, which is the locking position, as shown in Fig. 1.

The operation of the locking device is as follows: Oscillation of lever 26, by virtue of handle 21, about its pivot 28 moves one end of the connecting link 24 in an are by virtue of the movement of pins or studs 38. The stud 20 on jaw !6 to which the link 24 also is connected can only move in a. rectilinear direction, because of the shaft I4 interfitting with the longitudinal bore in the standard or base B. Movement of the stud 20 in a rectilinear direction, by virtue of the movement of link 24, in turn moves the jaw l6 closer to or further from the rear of last A,

thereby holding or releasing the shoe upper, which may be between the jaw l6 and the last. The U-shaped lever 26 is in a horizontal position, see Fig. 3, for locking the shoe upper on the last and is in a vertical position for releasing the upper, see Fig. 2.

The automatic upper attachment is constructed the same on each side of a vertical central longitudinally extending plane, which passes through the center of the base B.

Although my invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to'be determined as claimed.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination of a shoe last and an upper clamp comp-rising a base on said last, a movable jaw interfittingly connected to said base, said jaw being shaped to envelop the heel portion of the upper and adapted to press against the same, and means to move said law to lock it in position.

2. A clamp for a shoe last comprising a base having a plurality of openings therein, a. bore extending lengthwise in said base, a shaft slidably mounted within said bore, a clamp rigidly attached to said shaft, and means to move said shaft within said bore.

3. My invention as set forth in claim 2, and means to limit the location of a shoe upper.

ROBERT F. LAFFERTY. 

